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"Though the area is home to several species of venomous snakes, Bryan Hughes, a local snake expert, said the serpent was likely a non-venomous rat snake."

So home to many venomous snakes but somebody who wasnt there, surmises "odds were" rat snake but we dont know what information he relied on to get that info.

I investigated further.

Apparently nonvenomous snakes still have oral secretions

"There are snakes with no apparent venom system that are related to species with large, grooved fangs associated with ducts from toxin-producing glands, that are related to snakes with hollow fangs like hypodermic syringes at the front of their mouths and venom glands surrounded by compressor muscles that squeeze them when the snake bites – the classic "high-pressure" venom delivery system.

When we look more closely at snakes on the "non-venomous" end of this spectrum, we find that they have glands that are developmentally the same as those of the unequivocally venomous species, just maybe a bit smaller and not associated with compressor muscles. When we look at the oral secretions of these "non-venomous" snakes, we find they contain some of the same proteins that we call "toxins" when we find them in the venoms of front-fanged species. So, are these "non-venomous" snakes actually venomous after all? Where is the line between venomous and not? Are some species “kinda venomous”? Quasi-venomous? Is there a book I can read that can tell me once and for all which snakes are venomous and what happens when we die?"

Source: https://biomedicalsciences.unimelb.edu.au/departments/department-of-biochemistry-and-pharmacology/engage/avru/discover/what-is-venom

Side note. Its been a long time since ive been able to pull relevant data from the internet. Search engines are the worst theyve ever been.